50 Homemade Valentine's Day Cards and Crafts for Kids

Why I Love Handmade Valentine's Cards ...

I am not big on those store-bought, pre-packaged Valentine's Day cards that you see in the aisles at every grocery super store in January and February. I know that people do not spend hours on end crafting intricate hearts with lace and frills, like the Victorians did, but there just has to be a better solution than those mass-produced cheapies. Where's the love in that?

I am a tad bit competitive and a self-confessed Pinterest addict. I scoured the internet and Pinterest to find the cutest Valentine's with the biggest "wow" factor. I have two daughters that are in school, kindergarten and 1st grade, and I like to be *that* mom. The one who amazes everyone with her mac daddy organizational and crafting skills. I like to say, "Oh, that?? It was nothing!" I like to have the coolest Valentines and my kids love crafting right along with me.

I have a board on Pinterest that is frequently re-pinned and I thought I would showcase some of the best Valentine's Day cards and crafts for kids from it here, for everyone to see. Hopefully you find some inspiration for your projects.

Image Credit: Mommytalks (and kiddo #2)

Mustache Valentines and The Infamous Mustache-on-a-Stick

So, I don't get this whole mustache craze. I read somewhere that it started as a fun add-on accessory to use at photo booths at weddings. Maybe. In any case, my kindergartner knows about it so it is officially everywhere! If you or your child want to incorporate this trend into some fun valentines, here are three ways to get you started.

1. Mustache-on-a-Stick: "I mustache you a question ... will you be mine?" You can buy pre-made mustaches from Amazon (see below) or you can get instructions to make them from scratch at firsthomelovelife.com. I made them with my with my 1st grader last year and they were a HUGE hit!

2. Mustache Sucker: "I hope you have a fan{tache}tic Valentine's Day!" I love the play on words with this one and who doesn't love a tootsie roll sucker?! This is pictured above; see photo credit for directions.

3. Mustache Cards: "I *mustache* you to be my Valentine." If you are running behind (and what mom isn't) but want to jump on the mustache band wagon this Valentine's Day, you can order these and make your life a little easier.

Photo Credit: plumadorable.com

Star Wars Valentine

4. R2D2: "You are the Obi-Wan for me". This awesome card, pictured to the right, does not have instructions, but die-hard fans could wing it.

5. Lightsaber 1: "You light up my day!" Grab a photo of junior in his Star Wars gear and attach a mini glow stick to the photo where the lightsaber would be. Check it out www.allfreekidscrafts.com.

6. Lightsaber 2: "May the force be with you on Valentine's Day!" You can get the printable www.brassyapple.com for the text and the lightsaber's handle, just add a glow stick for the lightsaber. Plan on them glowing for two hours, so do not crack them the night before!

Valentine Food Gifts

7. Heart Shaped Cookies: What's better than a heart-shaped cookie on Valentine's Day? A heart-shaped cookie on a stick! Just add a sucker stick and some pretty ribbon for an over-the-top treat!

8. Blondies: Not just any ole blondie recipe, though. Add some M&M's in a Valentine's Day color mix for an explosion of pink and red color! Too cute!

9. Candy Kabobs: Thread red gummies and other candies onto a skewer and bag up a sweet treat! Check out how simple this is here.

10. Cupcakes: Cupcakes always rock a kids world, but decorating them for the day makes you the Best. Mom. Ever.

Photo Credit: catchmyparty.com

Ideas For Valentine Treat Bags

11. Paper: Let your little ones decorated small paper bags to their hearts content and then just fill and go. How easy is that?!

12. Paper Bags, Part Deux: You can also fold down the tops of the paper bags and secure them with festive red ribbon, Cupid's arrow or even a hole-punched Valentine's card.

13. Plastic Bags: Little plastic treat bags are readily available and look so cute all dressed up for the holiday.

14. Plastic Containers: Like the image to the right, you can fill cute, little plastic containers with all sorts of goodies, preferably chocolate.

Photo Credit: catchmyparty.com

Homemade Valentine Ideas From Everyday Items

15. Ruler: "You RULE, Valentine!" Grab some old-school rulers and transform them into super cute Valentine's. Read more about it at thompsonandspring.com/craft-diy-valentine-2012.

16. Toothbrush: "I can't smile without you ..." Channel your inner Barry and make some of these. In fact, if you work in the dental industry, these would be funny on a whole other level. Aren't they cute?

17. Sippy Straw: "Sip Sip Hooray - Happy Valentine's Day!" What kid doesn't love a sippy straw? Tweaking these into an awesome Valentine's craft for kids is a great idea.

18. Paint Chip 1: Not that I suggest stealing hundreds of paint chips from the hardware super store, but they *do* make fun valentines!

19. Paint Chip 2: They also make great bookmarks! It's the gift that keeps on giving!

Photo Credit: jacolynmurphy.com

Ideas For Boy Valentines

20. Angry Birds: "I get *angry* at all the lovey dovey Valentines! They are for the birds!" This is not necessarily just for boys. I mean, what kid *doesn't* like Angry Birds?!

22. Parachute Men:"Dropping down to wish you a happy Valentine's Day!" Actually, these fun flyers could also say, "I'm falling for you!"

23. Shovel:"I dig you!" Straight to the point! I like that in a person - LOL. These valentines are super cute and great to take to the sandbox later.

24. Bouncy Ball: "You are out of this world, Valentine" Use a glow in the dark or other planet-looking ball and create a masterpiece. Space .... the final frontier. Sorry - couldn't resist!

Photo Credit: dandee-designs.com

Valentine Photo Cards

25. 3-D Sucker Card: This card takes a little effort on the part of the photographer, but the result is pretty cool. Just attach a sucker or other treat and the whole project just pops!

26.Photo Cards: If you aren't so handy with a camera, relax; leave it to the professionals. Take a load off and order some up online, like the rainbow one to the right.

Photo Credit: tinyprints.com

Chocolate Candy Gifts and Other Valentine Treats

27. Hershey Kisses: Sure, Hershey's makes color coordinated kisses for the holiday, but some mom out there started a trend that has exploded. Everywhere on Pinterest and the net are images of printable stickers with cute little messages to put on the bottom of a Hershey's kiss! Who knew?!

28. Bananas: "I'm bananas for you, Valentine!" Another great craft from Fiskars and it fits right in with the monkey trend many preschoolers love!

29. Pop Rocks: "You ROCK Valentine!" How easy is this? The entire card IS the envelope of candy! Add some text and a musical note or two and you are good to go!

30. Fish 1: "Will you oFISHially be mine?" Pepperidge Farm goldfish get put to work in this cute valentine!

31. Fish 2: "Valentine, I'm glad we are in the same school!" Another great twist on the whole fish theme can be seen here. Scroll waaaaayyyyyy down to see it.

32. Starburst: "I am BURSTING with happiness that you are my friend!" Easy to make and yummy to eat! I happen to LOVE Starbursts! Printable here.

(Photo Credit: Fiskars.com)

Pencil and Crayon Valentines

33. Pencils 1: This has to be hands down one of the easiest valentine crafts for kids! Wrap a pipe cleaner around a valentine pencil and top with a cut out heart. *poof* Instant cool mom status!

34. Pencils 2: "You're *write* for me!" Another option with pencils is to make a heart, punch out two small holes and weave a pencil through. Done. Simple. Easy.

35. Crayons: "Happy Valentine's Day for "crayon" out loud!" This idea is great for all those stray broken bits of crayons we all have lying about. Melt them down, pour them into silicon heart molds and make new, heart-shaped crayons to give away as gifts! Genius, right?!

Photo Credit: Spoonful.com

Bug Valentines and Other Critters

36. Bugs: "Happy Valentine's Day - Love Bug!" What a great way to create a non-frilly valentine that both boys and girls will love to give!

37. Frogs: "Hoppy Valentine's Day!" I am making a simple card this year and attaching the frogs pictured below. My kindergartner's class has a year-long, frog theme and when we saw the little frog *shooters*, we knew it was perfect! I posted our finished project at the very top of this article.

38. Owls: "Owl be your valentine!" What a great way to use up empty toilet paper rolls.

39. Mice: If you need help in the crafty department, there are plenty of moms selling printables on Etsy to get you started. An adorable mouse is lots of fun! Squeak!

40. Bees: "Will you *bee* mine?" What an ingenious use for Burt's Bees lip balm! This could get on the expensive side, depending on how many you need. Look for bulk or stalk the Burt's Bees website for discontinued items that can sell for less that .60 cents!

41. Ladybug: "You're cute as a bug!" Another cute Valentine craft!

Photo Credit: pizzazzerie.com

Super Hero Valentines

42. Super Hero Masks: How cute are those?! OMG! I have a daughter that would wear that every single day if she received it as a valentine!!

Preschool Valentines

44. Bubbles: "You make my heart pop!" What preschooler doesn't love to blow bubbles?! Be the #1 mom with this Valentine craft!

45. ABC's: This has to be my favorite Valentine on the list! Pre-schoolers are cementing their knowledge of letters, plus it spells out "I love you"! Awesome! I think you could tweak this a little and make it more of an optometrist's chart, too.

Even More Cute Valentines

47. Cootie Catcher: These classic paper games are always a hit with the Under 13 crowd. Y

48. Maze: "Valentine, you amaze me!" Kids love those little, plastic mazes. It keeps them quiet for *at least* 10 minutes, which is appreciated by moms everywhere. And, they come in heart shapes! How cool is that?!

49. Glow Sticks: "Valentine, you make my heart glow!" Glow sticks rule all year round and Valentine's Day is no exception. These cute valentines, pictured to the right, can easily be made.

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